Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821508
24 commercial carrier journal | may 2017 • Navistar recalled about 2,700 International trucks because of a faulty air dryer mounting bracket that could fracture, causing the air brakes to lose pressure. Affected trucks in- clude 2017 LoneStar models manufactured between June 7 and Dec. 20, 2016; 2016-17 ProStar models made between May 5, 2015, and Dec. 22, 2016; 2016-18 LT models built between June 1, 2015, and Jan. 12, 2017; and 2017-18 RH models manufactured between March 30, 2016, and Dec. 14, 2016. • Detroit Diesel Corp. changed the factory-fill oil for its DD13, DD15 and DD16 heavy-duty engines to low-viscosity FA-4 for extended maintenance intervals and improved fuel economy. An "Efficient Long-Haul" category has been created for the DD13 and DD15 in over-the-road duty cycles that exceed 7 mpg, allowing the DD13 to travel up to 65,000 miles between oil and filter changes and the DD15 to reach 75,000 miles. • Peterbilt now offers a warranty for certified preowned Paccar MX engines through Peterbilt dealers and Paccar Financial Used Truck Centers. The warranty covers the engine and aftertreatment system for one year/125,000 miles. • Mack Trucks made rolling start and auto neutral standard on its mDrive and mDrive HD transmissions. Rolling start allows drivers to shift the transmission into drive without pressing the service brakes, while auto neutral automatically shifts the mDrive into neutral when the parking brake is set. • Kenworth's T680 and T880 models now are available with Dana Spicer's D-Series lightweight steer axles for use with air disc brakes. The axles feature a lightweight beam with a robust axle-to-brake attachment to help maximize performance, while the steer arm uses a smaller design envelope to also help reduce weight. The axles also feature an integrated air disc brake knuckle. • Peterbilt Models 520 and 320 equipped with the Cummins ISL-G Near Zero engine have been granted eligibility for the California Air Resources Board Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incen- tive Project, which encourages the adoption of low-emitting hybrid and zero-emissions trucks by assisting fleets with their purchase. • Ryder System updated its standard rental truck specifications to include safety tech- nologies such as forward-looking radar and collision mitigation systems. Ryder previous- ly offered these technologies as an available option to its ChoiceLease customers. • Penske Truck Leasing established an onboard technology consulting group as a value-added service to help customers ad- dress the proliferation of technology choices and answer questions that fleet operators may have about selecting, evaluating, imple- menting and using onboard systems. • Prestolite Electric, a manufacturer of high-output alternators and gear-reduc- tion starter motors marketed under the Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Systems and Prestolite brands, is working to develop advanced-efficiency and next-generation technologies to support the initiatives of the SuperTruck II program created by the U.S. Department of Energy to improve heavy-duty truck efficiencies. • Pressure Systems International complet- ed the acquisition of Truck System Technol- ogies, a provider of tire pressure monitoring systems for the recreational vehicle market. • Firestone Industrial Products announced an average price increase of up to 6 percent for its light- and heavy-duty air spring products. The company said the increase was driven by the escalating costs of raw materials, including natural rubber. • Stoughton Trailers purchased 17 acres of land in Brodhead, Wis., for possible future expansion of its current semi-truck over- the-road trailer operations in the city. The Brodhead facility employs over 100 people. • Wabco opened a new air disc brake plant in Charleston, S.C. The company invested $20 million in the 145,000-square-foot facility, which employs 230 workers. • Agility Fuel Solutions debuted its Blue iQ natural gas fuel product developed through the company's partnership with Cummins to help natural gas vehicles optimize fuel consumption and maximize uptime. Blue iQ integrates with Cummins Connected Diagnostics, Decisiv's Insite service tool and QuickServe support to connect vehicles, drivers, managers and technicians. • Momentum Fuel Technologies added a 175-gallon diesel-gallon-equivalent back-of- cab system – its largest to date – to its lineup of compressed natural gas fuel solutions for Class 6-8 trucks. The 175DGE system's fuel management module works in conjunction with Rush Truck Centers' telematics platform. • Consolidated Metco, a supplier of com- mercial vehicle components, announced a partnership with Protean Holdings to develop an electric in-wheel drive system to provide hybrid-electric solutions for medi- um- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. • Tenneco's Monroe Commercial Vehicle technical resource center produced two videos for service technicians – "Preventive Maintenance: How to Reduce Downtime" and "Shock Inspection Processes." The videos are available for free on YouTube. INBRIEF If I use thinner oils will my engine still be protected? The ability of engine oil to prevent wear by keeping moving parts separated is one of the key functions that it has to perform. That ability comes from the fluid viscosity and the additives which protect the metal surfaces. The thickness of the oil film which separates the moving parts is dependent on the viscosity of the oil and it will also depend on the speed and load of the engine operation. If oil is too thin to provide effective separation between moving parts or does not effectively control contaminants, this could result in increased wear through the contact of metal parts or abrasive wear, and could possibly shorten engine life. As truck and engine manufacturers are trying to achieve the maximum fuel economy for their equipment, the trend is to use lighter viscosity oils to assist in reducing fuel consumption. These full synthetic or synthetic blend oils are expected to provide fuel economy benefits, but not compromise on engine durability. Through extensive testing on synthetic blend Shell Rotella ® T5 10W-30, Shell has demonstrated a 1.6% fuel economy improvement benefit vs. conventional 15W-40* with no compromise on durability. Manufacturers develop their engines to operate efficiently with specific viscosity grades, so you should check with them to see which viscosity grades they allow and/or any specific conditions such as ambient temperature, which may influence the use of those viscosity grades. The SAE and API have established minimum requirements for lighter viscosity oils which should allow for effective protection of key engine parts. A number of diesel engine manufacturers recommend lower viscosity lubricants in their newest engines, and the move to lower viscosity lubricants is reinforced by the announcement that one of the focus areas for the next generation of heavy-duty diesel engine oils will be fuel economy improvements, which lower viscosity oils have demonstrated the ability to provide. This is particularly important as the first-ever fuel economy regulations for heavy trucks will begin in 2014. Synthetic engine oil also can help keep the engine clean through improved sludge, deposit and varnish protection, and helps reduce overall engine wear under extreme operating conditions. Synthetic engine oils typically have more stable viscosity and provide better protection when the engine is running under high-temperature conditions, such as high speeds and heavy loads. * as demonstrated in 2009 on-the-road field testing for 10W-30 viscosity grade only, highway cycles, compared to Shell Rotella ® T Triple Protection ® 15W-40. The term "Shell Lubricants" refers to the various Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. This monthly column is brought to you by Shell Lubricants. Got a question? Visit ROTELLA.com, call 1-800-237-6950 or write to The ANSWER COLUMN, 1001 Fannin, Ste. 500, Houston, TX 77002. By Dan Arcy Shell Lubricants Untitled-5 1 11/9/15 9:07 AM